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San Francisco 1953
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1953
by: Ruby Ficklen
Much like the rest of the country during this time, San
Francisco was on the cusp of a nation at war and post-
war society. This was reflected in the art and media of
the time, taking cues from poets that had come before
them such as Walt Whitman in their response to both
the devastation of the war and the restrictive cultural
climate. The Red Scare ran rampant, while a civil rights
revolution was building. In 1953, a poetic and artistic
movement called The San Francisco Renaissance was
gaining momentum.
Grand Jury indicts Bryson on Charges of Communism
Hugh Bryson, president of
the National Union of
Marine Cooks and Stewards,
was tried on two counts of an
indictment which charged
that he filed with the
National Labor Relations
Board 'an affidavit of a non-
Communist union officer,' in
which he falsely alleged that
he was 'not a member of the
Communist Party or
affiliated with any such
Party.' He was charged with
falsely denying membership
in the first count and
affiliation in the
second count, all in violation
of § 1001, Title 18, United
States Code. The jury
acquitted him on the
membership count but found
him guilty on the affiliation
count. From a judgment of
conviction and a sentence of
five years imprisonment plus
a $10,000 fine, Bryson
appeals.
As early as 1937, Bryson
was an active and militant
member of both the
Communist Party and the
Marine Cooks and Stewards.
The San Francisco ChroniclesApril 8
th1953 “The Voice of the West” - Since 1865
Racial Integration Demanded of Housing Authority
The San Francisco Housing
Authority operates the third
largest public housing program
in the country. By the start of
the decade, this program
included over one hundred and
ten thousand units or
apartments housing almost five
hundred thousand persons. In
wake of a racial movement
rolling across the country, these
units remain largely and
distinctly divided. Local civic
groups such as the CSFR and
SFNL have called on the San
Francisco Housing Authority to
set a standard of racial
integration among its program.
“Why?” is the statement made
by the head of the Authority,
“Our job is simply to provide
people a roof over their heads
when they cannot under their
own means. We are not a moral
compass. Our priorities are
decidedly separated and
irrelevant to the social
uprisings goings-on.”
Government operated housing
has already proven itself to
incite conflict between
neighbors who might not
otherwise cross paths, already
subject to frequent police
intervention. Is this worth it?
The San Francisco Negro
League seems to believe so.
“This is a turning point for San
The San Francisco ChroniclesJune 7
th1953 “The Voice of the West” - Since 1865
Elaine and Willem
De Kooning
They were the typical
artist couple in the
1950's, both staples
in the San Francisco
culture, struggling
with serious financial
hardships while
producing
tremendously
innovative work.
Although California did not begin legally integrating until the 1960s, the issue had
already hit progressive San Francisco in 1953. This picture shows anti-integration
protestors gathered outside a San Francisco courthouse.
On May 25, 1953 this blast took place as part of Operation Upshot-Knothole
which was a series of eleven nuclear test shots conducted in remote areas of
the US. This is the first test of a nuclear artillery shell. Images like these
solidified America as a strong and conquering to some citizens, and an
unforgiving force to others.
As the first faint
streaks of dawn poked
over the distant hills
the blast came. A vivid
flash of light pierced
the desert darkness
and lighted up the
entire countryside. It
lasted but a moment or
two then was gone. All
eyes turned toward the
spot where the bomb
had exploded. They
saw a big ball of
furiously churning fire,
smoke, sand and
debris rapidly rising
from the ground in
huge, rolling waves.
“
”Nevada Highways & Parks 13, no2,
"Observation Shot Project",
The marriage of John F
Kennedy and Jacqueline
“Jackie” Bouvier was more
than a idyllic wedding. As a
couple, John and Jackie were
the quintessential 50s
romance and their wedding did
not stray from this standard.
The fashions, trends, and
themes observed here are
perfect examples of the time.
What is more iconic of San Francisco
than the Golden Gate Bridge? Although
construction was officially completed in
1937, Albert Croxson (35) and Donald
Hogan (35) were killed when their 25-
ton steel and timber scaffold tore loose
from beneath the Golden Gate Bridge
on November 7th, 1953. They were part
of a 28-man crew installing lateral
bracing beneath the roadway of the
bridge.
They are murdering all the young
men.
For half a century now, every day,
They have hunted them down and
killed them.
They are killing them now.
At this minute, all over the world,
They are killing the young men.
They know ten thousand ways to
kill them.
Every year they invent new ones.
In the jungles of Africa,
In the marshes of Asia,
In the deserts of Asia,
In the slave pens of Siberia,
In the slums of Europe,
In the nightclubs of America,
The murderers are at work.
They are stoning Stephen,
They are casting him forth from
every city in the world.
Under the Welcome sign,
Under the Rotary emblem,
On the highway in the suburbs,
His body lies under the hurling
stones.
He was full of faith and power.
He did great wonders among the
people.
They could not stand against his
wisdom.
He cried out in the name
Of the tabernacle of witness in the
wilderness.
They were cut to the heart.
They gnashed against him with
their teeth.
They cried out with a loud voice.
They stopped their ears.
They ran on him with one accord.
They cast him out of the city and
stoned him.
The witnesses laid down their
clothes
At the feet of a man whose name
was your name —
You.
You are the murderer.
You are killing the young men.
You are broiling Lawrence on his
gridiron.
When you demanded he divulge
The hidden treasures of the spirit,
He showed you the poor.
You set your heart against him.
You seized him and bound him with
rage.
You roasted him on a slow fire.
His fat dripped and spurted in the
flame.
The smell was sweet to your nose.
He cried out,
“I am cooked on this side,
Kenneth
Rexroth“Thou Shalt
Not Kill”
click here to read the rest of this
poem
click here to skip to next
topic
You are murdering the young men.
You are shooting Sebastian with
arrows.
He kept the faithful steadfast under
persecution.
First you shot him with arrows.
Then you beat him with rods.
Then you threw him in a sewer.
You fear nothing more than
courage.
You who turn away your eyes
At the bravery of the young men.
You,
The hyena with polished face and
bow tie,
In the office of a billion dollar
Corporation devoted to service;
The vulture dripping with carrion,
Carefully and carelessly robed in
imported tweeds,
Lecturing on the Age of Abundance;
The jackal in double-breasted
gabardine,
Barking by remote control,
In the United Nations;
The vampire bat seated at the
couch head,
Notebook in hand, toying with his
decerebrator;
The autonomous, ambulatory
Kenneth Roxworth,
Authorclick here to return to part one of the
poem
Your cheatin' heart will make you
weep,
You'll cry and cry, and try to sleep.
But sleep won't come, the whole
night through.
Your cheatin' heart, will tell on you.
When tears come down like falling
rain,
You'll toss around, and call my
name.
You'll walk the floor, the way I do.
Your cheatin' heart, will tell on you.
When tears come down like falling
rain,
You'll toss around, and call my
name.
You'll walk the floor, the way I do.
Your cheatin' heart, will tell on you.
Your Cheatin’
Heart By: Hank Williams
Your Cheatin’ Heart was #2 nationwide
in 1953 and was a popular song on San
Francisco’s KGO radio station. Hank
Williams, however, died this year.
This feature debuted in 1953.
Many parallels can be drawn
between this cartoon and the
Red Scare of the time. It
would’ve played at San
Francisco’s Cascade Theater,
among other places.
Duck Dodger in
the 24½ Century
The end.